Monday, May 31, 2010

I'm not kidding! I wasn't really looking for a Los Angeles bankruptcy attorney on eBay..that would be absurd...but not as absurd as actually finding one on eBay.

I was looking for books on bankruptcy and stumbled across this law firm's ad for Los Angeles bankruptcy attorneys. I had already consulted with a few other bankruptcy attorneys that I had found online, but hadn't yet found one that I was both comfortable with and could afford.

This guy sounded affordable so, after googling him and finding that he and his firm had a good reputation, I called and set up a consultation for that afternoon.

I had been doing my homework online for months preparing for this bankruptcy so I already had a list of questions but I was nervous. He quickly put me at ease though, and that was no easy feat.

So after a successful consultation, I finally had an Attorney. It was the strangest feeling. I had a bankruptcy attorney.

I would not hesitate again to find an attorney online. Mine no longer advertises on eBay--I just checked--I don't know why. Guess it wasn't as good for him as it was for me...ahem. Unless you know someone who can recommend a good bankruptcy attorney, which isn't likely since no one likes to discuss bankruptcy, finding your lawyer online is probably the best way. If that makes you uncomfortable, well, there's still the yellow pages.

Or if you're one of those broke but brave types, you file pro se (without an attorney) but I'll discuss that in another post. Me, I needed the comfort that came with having an attorney. I needed a bankruptcy blankie.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

The decision to file bankruptcy in Los Angeles Court was the toughest one I've ever had to make. I was scared......terrified actually. I had been completely mismanaging my money for years and I felt like a colossal failure. My self esteem was at an all time low and I had no idea how I was going to get through this.

To top that off I had no one to talk to. The big recession hadn't quite kicked in (at least no one was admitting it yet), and filing bankruptcy was still considered the social equivalent to throwing a puppy out of a car window on a busy metropolitan freeway. To this day, my filing remains my dirty little secret.

If I had to do it over again, I would have done it much sooner. Filing bankruptcy in Los Angeles County court just a couple years earlier would have lessened the pain for both me and my creditors. Instead, because of the terror that the mere thought of bankruptcy invoked, I just kept borrowing money to pay on what I already owed. I kept telling myself that eventually I would miraculously be able to pay my bills off. I was gonna write that book or win that lottery. Of course, eventually, no such thing happened. Eventually the well ran dry and there simply was no more credit to be had. I was nearly 85K in the hole and there was nowhere else to turn.

Don't get me wrong. I am fully aware that there are plenty of people who are forced to file bankruptcy through no fault of their own. (Donald Trump comes to mind..snicker) There are serious illnesses and unexpected job losses that financially ruin people all the time.....that's just not the case for me and I have to own up to that.

Perhaps the best advice I came across in my quest for knowledge prior to my bankruptcy filing, is that filing bankruptcy is a business decision. I can't take credit for that little pearl but I am thankful for it. After all, the law does afford us this privilege. Bankruptcy is meant for us to get a Fresh Start...a second chance. That little piece of advice allowed me to proceed in, for the most part though I did have my moments, a rational and calm manner.

Of course, things have changed a bit in the last couple years. The recession has seen to that. With more and more people filing bankruptcy, it has almost become common place if not acceptable. But it's still a very tough pill to swallow.

If you are considering filing Bankruptcy in Los Angeles Court, there aren't many people who will be able to, or willing to, openly relate to what you are going through. Me, I've been there, done that, got the discharge.

Saturday, May 29, 2010

This section includes California bankruptcy information---abbreviations, definitions, general information, and helpful links regarding credit card and other types of bankruptcy. I will be adding to this section as more California bankruptcy information becomes relevant. Please refer to it as needed.